


Use Me Like Your Boomerang

by nikoline3481



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Cute, Drama, Drama & Romance, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:26:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28401624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nikoline3481/pseuds/nikoline3481
Summary: Sokka finally pops a big question to Suki. But her answer isn't quite what he expects. Faced with a deal to date anyone they want to see if *their own* relationship is worth it, Sokka and Suki agree to thirty days of what is essentially "open season." Sokka, still not quite understanding why the heck they're doing this ridiculous deal anyway, asks his best friend Toph (still the greatest earthbender in the world) to fake-date him just so he can get through these torturously slow thirty days. But what happens when sparks fly and a certain non-bender learns he might actually appreciate what this deal has to offer him?
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Mai/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Suki (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Suki/Zuko (Avatar), Toph Beifong/Sokka
Comments: 42
Kudos: 74
Collections: Tokka Collection





	1. Day 0: The Dreaded Silver Key

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own any of the characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Seriously would love to. But, unfortunately, they are Bryke's.
> 
> Please excuse some formatting issues with the text.
> 
> Remember to enjoy the Tokka feels ahead!

Day 0:  
KAW KAW.  
Sokka groaned as he reached over his sleeping girlfriend to conk the rooster-rat over the head. He sighed, laying back down to drape an arm over the beautiful brunette snoozing away, gazing at her adoringly. The woman of his dreams. Cradling the back of her head full of short, silky brown locks, he bent forward to press a chaste kiss to her lips, enough to rouse her from her deep slumber. She startled and seemed to sink deeper in the covers with a loud moan. 

“Ugh...how much did you let me drink last night?” Suki whispered low, afraid to raise her voice and intensify the pounding in her skull. 

“Well, I let you drink about two glasses. But then you got tipsy and stole the server’s entire tray, so I’m pretty sure that’s different.”

She draped her forearm over her eyes, groaning even louder and breaking off with a dramatic sigh. Her hands scrubbed down her face, and skeptically, she inched open one eye. “How bad was I?”

“You almost jumped into Zuko’s palace fountain. In your underwear,” Sokka deadpanned. 

Suki’s stomach rolled, her vision going fuzzy for a second as she sat up abruptly. She closed her eyes and turned to face her boyfriend once again. “I’m sorry. Could you repeat that?”

“I said, you almost jumped into the palace fountain in your under-”

“Okay, okay! Never mind! I don’t want to hear it,” she said, massaging her temples as if she could rub away the mortifying feeling. Was it possible to feel secondhand embarrassment for herself? The Suki of This Morning sure felt like kicking the Suki of Last Night far back into last week. 

Sokka chuckled, despite his girlfriend’s obvious humiliation. “Look, I know that you’re not feeling the greatest at the moment-”

“You think?” Suki yelped. 

“But, I do still have something to ask you. Hopefully this will cheer you up, and distract you from last night’s...unfortunate events.” Sokka moved to fish something out of the bedside table. 

What the absolute fuck? Suki thought. Is this a proposal? Is he proposing while I’m hungover? Suki almost groaned again at the thought of it. 

Her and Sokka had been together, officially, for about four years. Any man would’ve proposed by now, possibly even had a child by now (although, they were far too young and Suki didn’t even want to think about a little devil with energy that matched hers or Sokka’s running around the house, all wild). But, they hadn’t done anything. Frankly, their relationship had seemed to be getting quite stale. And although it hadn’t worried Suki, she knew Sokka must’ve been getting quite antsy. Still, they continued to regard each other with the greatest love. And that seemed to be enough for both of them. For now, at least. 

Suki continued to hyperventilate at the thought of a diamond ring staring back at her with the box Sokka was preparing to present to her at that very moment. But her imminent doom was quickly erased and forgotten when her boyfriend opened the box to reveal a small, silver key. 

“Suki...I’ve had a lot of trouble working up the courage to ask you this. But...will you do me the honor of moving in with me?” Sokka grimaced as he finished cheesily. He’d hoped it would sound better in the moment. Guess that’s a bust either way, he thought. 

Suki froze as she stared at the glinting silver in the box, the sheen of the metal mocking her as her hesitation grew with every second. 

Sokka’s brow furrowed as he glanced between his girlfriend and the box. “Suki?”

Suki started and shook her head, forcing a smile onto her face as she looked back down at the box once more, and then up at her boyfriend, his face quickly falling. 

“Yes, Sokka?”

“I was asking if you wanted to move in with me?” he said, prompting her like a parent might’ve to a child. 

“Oh, um…” Suki looked away, scrambling through her thoughts for a good answer. She grimaced as she realized there would be no good one. “I actually don’t think I should.”

Sokka’s perfect lips rounded to one, perfect ‘o.’ His face burned with shame as he snapped the box closed and looked away. 

He tried not to sulk. He really did. But, really, he just ended up stomping over to the kitchen table. You’d be surprised how hard it is to make pancakes and wave a whipped cream can around angrily. But, of course, Sokka made it work. 

Suki peeled back the covers, her head still throbbing excruciatingly as she stood and walked over to the breakfast nook in Sokka’s apartment. 

“I’m really sorry, Sokka, it’s just that...I don’t think we’re ready for this yet,” Suki said, placing a gentle hand on the crook of Sokka’s arm. He threw open the fridge and swiped the lusciously ripe strawberries from the middle shelf. He’d had this nice breakfast planned. Oh well. At least rejection will taste sweet, Sokka thought as he let out the longest sigh before turning to face Suki again. 

“I don’t understand why you think we’re not ready. I mean, we’ve been together for four years, Suki!”

Suki looked away guiltily and rubbed her bare shoulders. “I know, it’s just that-”

She paused for a long while and Sokka spun around to glare at her. “Just what?”

“Look, living together is honestly kinda scary. Once you move in with someone, they’re going to know all your weaknesses, all your insecurities, all your vices. I’m just afraid. It’s a really big step. Plus, knowing someone like that takes a lot of commitment. And come on, we’ve only been dating each other for four years. Doesn’t it bother you that I’m your only option? Or you’re my only option?”

“Are you saying you want to break up?” Sokka shrieked. 

Suki winced at the noise. “Ow.”

“Sorry.”

“Anyways, no. I’m not saying we should break up. I just mean that, how do we know we’re willing to commit to each other when we haven’t even seen what everyone else has to offer?” 

“O-kay. See, the way it’s coming out of your mouth right now just makes it seem like you don’t want to be my girlfriend anymore. If that’s what it is, you can just come out and say it, Suki. It won’t hurt...that much,” he muttered, wiping a comically small tear out of the corner of his eye. 

“Ugh, this is impossible. I’m just trying to say...maybe we should date other people.”

Sokka burst out laughing. “I’m sorry, it just sounded like you said we should date other people. Must be all the jerky I had last night. Too much of that stuff can make you woozy.” Instinctively, he reached for another strip of seal jerky, only realizing it too late. He shrugged and bit off the end, chewing the meat noisily. 

“I’m serious, Sokka. I think we should explore our options a little bit more. Only dating each other hasn’t given us much experience. Committing before knowing everything else that could’ve happened...how do you know it won’t end up going awry?”

“Because I love you, Suki!” Sokka yelled. He grabbed his girlfriend’s shoulders and pulled her closer, hoping he could make her feel how his heart swelled whenever she was nearby, how his pulse skyrocketed, how his eyes widened whenever she walked into a room. She had to know he loved her. He faltered when he saw her gaze, skeptical and calculating. “Can’t that-isn’t that enough for you? For us?”

“For our relationship it is. You know I love you, too, Sokka. I really do. But just- okay, here.” She stared up into his cobalt blue eyes sharply, her cerulean gaze demanding his attention. He secretly loved it whenever she did this. “Thirty days. Till the end of the month, we go on dates and see other people. Anyone we want. No one is off limits. And if we still feel the same way about each other when we come back, then I’m ready to commit.”

“You want to turn our relationship into a game of the fucking Bachelor?”

Suki rolled her eyes. “Sokka, this’ll be good for you, for both of us. I promise. Come on, think about it this way. We won’t have to listen to each other snore all night.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s more of a highlight for you since I’m the one that snores,” Sokka harrumphed. 

“Well, then you don’t have to wait a whole hour for me to put my Kyoshi outfit on whenever we make a public appearance,” she countered. 

Sokka rubbed his chin, imagining his Wang Fire beard in place, finally allowing some excitement slip past his devastation and rejection. “I guess so.”

“Unless you go and date Ty Lee. I can’t help you there,” Suki said, stifling a giggle. 

Sokka threw his head back, wheezing at the joke. Quickly, he exhaled and wiped his eyes, leaning forward to look at his girlfriend more closely. “Just thirty days?”

Suki nodded matter-of-factly and stuck her hand out as if they were businessmen. “You got it, partner. Just thirty days.”

Sokka reluctantly placed his large hand in Suki’s dainty hand, her palm rough and calloused. “Deal.”

And so it was done. 

Sokka turned back to his pancakes and blew out a breath, the confetti sprinkles bursting from the batter as he flipped the doughy thing over on the oily pan. The hissing of their breakfast on the pan filled the silence for the longest moment ever until he finally turned to his girlfriend, the corners of his mouth turned firmly down. He ran a hand through his wolf tail and turned back to the stove. 

“I’ll miss you,” he whispered, his voice barely audible that Suki almost hadn’t caught it on her way to the door. 

She stopped in her tracks and hung her head. Moving to put her jacket on, she turned back to Sokka and smiled hopefully. 

“I know.”

The slam of the apartment door reverberated throughout the apartment. And Sokka sighed once more.


	2. Day 1: Fried Tofu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka goes to Aang and Zuko to make a little more sense of the situation at hand while a certain earthbender comes to mind.

Day 1: 

“So, she told you she wanted to see other people?” Zuko asked, nibbling on the edge of Aang’s fried tofu. He grimaced as a burnt edge made its way into his mouth.  
Sokka flopped back onto the couch, landing ungracefully at Zuko’s feet. “Not just her. She wants me to see other people, too.”

“Wait, so what exactly happened between you two?” Aang asked as he continued to firebend the tofu. 

“I asked her to move in with me. I did it really nice and everything, it looked almost exactly like a proposal!” Sokka said, his face brightening at the wonderful idea he’d had. 

Aang and Zuko facepalmed themselves in unison, simultaneously groaning at Sokka’s momentary stupidity. 

Sokka tilted his head, confused. “What? What?” He bounced in his seat like a child. 

“Sokka, you can’t just ask a girl to move in with you like that. It freaks them out when you’re down on one knee, looking for commitment, no matter what type of commitment it is,” Zuko said. Aang hummed his agreement and began plating the tofu. 

“But don’t girls like commitment? I mean Suki obviously didn’t, and I didn’t know until she told me, but I thought that girls liked grand gestures. I mean, Zuko, you just had a party for Mai becoming a diplomat and she’s your girlfriend. Didn’t she enjoy that kind of thing?”

Zuko blushed and looked down. “She broke up with me last night. I was getting to be too much for her apparently, forcing her to do things she didn’t want to do. Into a life she didn’t particularly want to be a part of.” He groaned. “I hate being the Fire Lord sometimes.”

Sokka rubbed Zuko’s shoulder in a comforting manner. Aang halted in his endeavors with tofu and spun around to face the boys. “Well, I can tell you it depends on what she likes. Katara was always appreciative of quiet affairs, entering situations gently instead of being quick and brash. I think you need to respect Suki’s feelings before your desires. Which means...I think you should do this, Sokka.”

“What the heck, Aang? I thought you’d be on my side here. It’s a ridiculous idea,” Sokka screeched. 

Aang winced before continuing. “I’m just saying, Suki’s right. You need to explore your options before truly baring yourselves to each other. Once you see something, in someone, you can never really take it back. You have to be ready, Sokka. And if your bond is still strong when you come back from dating whichever girl-”

“Or girls!” Zuko pitched in. 

Aang nodded in agreement. “Or girls, then you know that you’re ready to move to the next step. Time doesn’t necessarily mean anything. Even if you guys have been dating for four years, it’s how you both feel that determines whether you get yourself deeper into a relationship.”

Sokka blew out a breath and flopped onto Zuko’s legs. The firebender let out a yelp, choking on his tofu and hacking up a storm. 

“I guess you’re right, Aang. But, I don’t even know what I’m going to do now.”

“What do you mean?” Zuko asked, once again nibbling on the raw end of his tofu. 

“I mean who am I going to date!”

“You can always go back to an ex? I mean, it’s just for thirty days,” Zuko suggested. He gave up with his tofu, chucking it across the room. Aang glared at him while Zuko simpered back, holding out his plate for something other than the terrible tofu Aang had firebent. 

Sokka narrowed his eyes to slits and in the flattest voice ever, said, “My first and ONLY girlfriend turned into the moon.”

Silence thickened between the boys, and Zuko looked quickly at Aang who was staring helplessly back at him, grasping for some way to handle this tender situation. It may have happened five years ago, but both of them knew it was a touchy subject for him. Sokka closed his eyes and laid back down at Zuko’s feet, the firebender squirming underneath the weight of the other man’s backside. 

Zuko replied with a fast, “That’s rough, buddy.”

Aang chortled awkwardly and held out a plate of charred tofu for the nonbender. Sokka waved it away, reaching for the seal jerky he held in his back pocket. 

“Well, what about Ty Lee?” Aang asked. 

“What about her?” Sokka replied with a yawn. He ran a hand through his wolf tail and stopped to prop his chin up thoughtfully. 

“Why don’t you try going out with her for a bit? Everyone knows that she’s been into you ever since that fight with the drill and the wall of Ba Sing Se.”

Sokka did think about it for a while. But Ty Lee was a bit too cheerful for his own good. Sokka was bitter and cynical most of the time, even if he did release a slew of hilarious one-liners all the time. He shuddered as the prospect of pink appeared on the horizon of an experimental relationship with Ty Lee. Seriously. Who liked that pink? She’d probably bore him with talk of chakras and auras and all sorts of negative energy that could be ruining their skin. She was too much for him. 

“Actually, I’ll take a hard pass on Ty Lee. Regardless of this entire thing being an experiment and Ty Lee only proving my point, I’d rather not torture myself for thirty days straight. Not that the woman isn’t amazing,” Sokka added quickly. He knew Ty Lee could knock him out with a simple bonk to the head. 

Zuko and Aang looked at each other once again, the firebender now gnawing on a piece of his fellow nonbender's jerky. He stuck his tongue out at the unusual texture of the meat and reached for the fire flakes instead. 

Suddenly, Aang leaped up from the couch, airbending his staff to him and raising it over his head. “Flameo! I got an idea!” 

Zuko gave a shrill scream at the abrupt outburst and both boys stared at him, confused. The Fire Lord’s face reddened immensely, burying his tomato-head in the bowl of fire flakes, grumbling and muttering to himself. 

“Anyways,” Aang continued. “What about dating Toph?”

Sokka burst out laughing, his face turning purple as he wheezed and wheezed. Aang furrowed his brows and the corners of his mouth turned firmly down as his best friend continued to roar with laughter at the idea of dating their close friend. 

“Why are you laughing?” Aang asked. 

“Aang, the last time I saw Toph, she was too busy picking her toes, teaching the kids at her all-new metalbending academy, and completing her police training to truly comprehend I still existed. What makes you think dating her would be good for me? Plus, isn’t she in a relationship with that guy named Satoru?” Sokka said. 

Zuko cut in, saying, “Toph and Satoru broke up a while ago. After the partnership with the refinery was over, they didn’t really need to hang out anymore. I think they just grew apart and decided to call it quits, so she’s perfectly single now.”

“Wouldn’t have known you were the gossip of the group,” Aang said, nudging Zuko. 

Zuko simply rolled his eyes, casting his gaze back over to Sokka who was looking up at the ceiling, seeming to contemplate the idea. 

“She’s really matured, you know,” Zuko added. “When’s the last time you saw her anyway?”

“A...couple of years ago. It’s actually been a while since we talked to each other. As I said, she’s been so busy. The last time I saw her was at Zuko’s Fire Lord anniversary party two years ago.”

Zuko fished around for another fire flake at the bottom of his plastic bag. Chomping on it noisily, he added, “Yeah, but she was there last night too.”

Sokka sat up so fast, his head nearly collided with Aang’s as he hovered over the two boys on the couch. If he was going to be honest, Sokka had always had a weird thing for Toph. She was the most powerful earthbender he’d ever met. Hell, the most powerful WOMAN he’d ever met (he’d be sure to keep that from Suki if he wanted to keep every body part intact). He’d always admired her. And after the war, they’d gotten close, not to mention that night at Zuko’s Fire Lord anniversary party. His face burned as he thought about it now, and he dismissed the risqué feelings once again building in his chest. 

What was he thinking? He still loved Suki. He wasn’t going to act on butterflies that had just flown themselves there due to a rowdy night with cactus juice (but if he was being honest, he hadn’t gotten very tipsy that night). 

But was there really another choice? He could go hunting for a random girl to go out with but he hated going into situations blind, not knowing whether it would truly work out or not. Dating someone he actually knew was obviously the better option. If not Yue or Ty Lee… He sighed. This deal was worth putting his baseless feelings aside. He’d just have to suck it up. 

“Sokka?” Aang asked. 

The nonbender sighed and stood up once more. Zuko stretched his legs and let out a breath of relief. “I guess Toph is my only other option. She’s still in the fire nation, right?” 

Aang and Zuko nodded. “For now at least,” the airbender replied. 

“Well then, I’ll go see her and explain. Hopefully, she’ll agree.”

To Sokka, Toph had always been just one of the guys. She’d always been someone he could laugh and poke fun at random cabbage merchants with. He’d always been the one to get them both drunk on cactus juice, stumbling away from every establishment with Katara shaking a fist at their backs for making such a scene. She was his best friend. That night at the Fire Lord’s anniversary...it had to have meant nothing. To either of them. 

Sokka grabbed his bag of jerky, waved goodbye to Aang and Zuko, and trudged out the door, hoping to God that the fucking butterflies would stop their fluttering and listen to his (clearly sensible) head.


	3. Day 2: The Greatest Earthbender in the World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka finally meets up with his best friend to ask her a question. Nobody was expecting the chemistry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own the characters - just the fic. ATLA is Bryke's. Please enjoy.

Day 2: 

Sokka paced in front of the large stone slab of a door, waiting for a sliver of courage to even knock on it and come face to face with the greatest earthbender in the world. He ran a hand through his wolf tail, exasperated and confused. Should he really be doing this? If he was THIS uncomfortable, what was stopping him from going back to Suki and calling off the whole thing? 

He blew out a long breath and leaned against the stone slab next to him. He’d never be able to move forward with her if they didn’t get past this little “experiment.” He ran a shaky hand through his wolf tail once more nervously, trying to keep himself from running away from the situation as fast as he could. 

The door flew open just as Sokka made to sit down. He flew forward ramming his head into the small pedestal medium set before the door of the house. Seeing stars, he slowly sat up and looked into a pair of twinkling green eyes. 

A petite, slender woman stared down at him, her raven black hair flowing smoothly down her back, glinting in the blinding light of the sun. Her striking features, once well-rounded with baby fat, had matured into high and sharp cheekbones, lips as red as ripe strawberries, and outrageously long eyelashes. Sokka imagined Katara would be jealous of those. But the reason why he had no clue. Sokka blinked up into Toph’s sharp gaze once again, trying not to lose focus and drift down to the new curves in her chest and hips. 

But Toph’s piercing glare was replaced with a surprised smile as she finally recognized who’d decided to throw themselves on her rental’s front porch mid-morning. 

“Snoozles! What the hell are you doing here?” She extended a hand down to him. Sokka blushed and reached for Toph’s dainty palm. It was rough and calloused like Suki’s. His face felt like it was on fire as Toph squeezed his hand while he scrambled to get upright. 

She was wearing a silk robe, having just gotten out of bed (despite it being ten in the morning), the flowy material hugging her body in all the right places. Get it together, Sokka thought. The earthbender leaned forward and for one scary second, the young man truly believed she was about to kiss him ‘hello’ when her fist slammed into both his daydreams and the sensitive area in his shoulder. He winced and rubbed at the spot which would DEFINITELY bruise in an hour or so. No matter how painful it was, the touch sent little tingles and sparks throughout Sokka’s arm. He was waving them away when Toph looked expectantly back up at him. 

“Seriously, Snoozles. To what do I owe the honor of getting to see Captain Boomerang again? Man, it’s seriously been too long. What, like, two years?” she asked, her voice still raspy from sleep. 

He ignored her questions, for now. “How did you know I was here?”

She waved her foot around, nudging Sokka’s shin with her pale toes. “Come on, Meathead. Seismic sense, remember?”

If Sokka weren’t so dumbstruck by this completely new Toph or the pain in his head and shoulder, he might’ve been able to remember that Toph was optically challenged (although that never truly stopped her). 

She rolled her eyes as if to say ‘I know’ to all his ridiculous inner turmoil and motioned for him to come inside. Sokka tried not to look at how much Toph had matured. He really tried. But once he’d started it was getting exceptionally difficult for him to cease doing so. 

Sokka moved around the small rental, finally finding a wooden chair to sit in. 

“You want some tea?” Toph asked, gliding in towards the kitchen while still rubbing the sleep from her eyes. 

“Uh, yeah sure.”

For the longest time, only the banging of the kettle and the lighting of the stove filled the silence as Toph set the water to boil. She moved her gaze into what she thought was Sokka’s general direction, tilting her head and grinning. 

“So, how’ve you been, Snoozles?”

Sokka’s head snapped up, glancing at Toph only momentarily before getting jumpy and settling for a spot over the cabinet, under the stone chairs, above Toph’s shoulder. He bounced his leg up and down, his heart rate suddenly going through the roof. 

Had he even thought this through? Sure, Toph might’ve been Sokka’s only option. But how would she even react to this? Would she laugh at him, wheezing so hard she’d never be able to properly reject him? Would she bring up that night from two years ago at the anniversary party? Would she get uncomfortable and kick him out? She’d only just been through a break-up. This was going to be quite the conversation to have. 

“Snoozles?”

“Huh? Oh, what? Sorry. Yeah, I’ve been good lately. Just doing some...councilman stuff. As Councilman. You know. Very. Councilman-y.”

Toph rolled her eyes. “Gee, Sokka, you must be getting a ton of work then. Didn’t know being a councilman was such a big job that it was the ONLY task you had to fulfill. Your list of job requirements must’ve been short. Do you have room for more? I’d like a position.”

“Ha-ha, very funny,” Sokka grumbled. “I guess, we’ve been overseeing a couple of cases on the triads in the newly founded Republic City.”

“Ah, triads. Terrible people never take a break do they?” Toph said, smirking and leaning over onto the countertop. 

“You know about the triads?”

“’Course I do. It’s one of the first things I teach the metalbenders during on-the-job police training. Current events are important, you know.” The earthbender leaned back and stirred the pot of boiling water, adding in the mixture of tea leaves. 

“Wow. The old Toph Beifong hated politics. I’m pretty sure Ba Sing Se was the only time you voted to run away from your problems,” Sokka said, mimicking Toph’s stance and leaning on his knees. 

The young woman blushed and turned back to the stove. “Yeah, I guess it wasn’t one of my finest moments.”

Sokka wanted to tell her she was wrong. He wanted to tell her that, that day, when they’d fought the Earth King's entourage, had been one of the coolest days of his life. Seeing Toph take down all those palace guards on the stairs in one fell swoop had been mesmerizing. But of course, Sokka had a reputation to uphold. And an actual girlfriend to support, although he wasn’t sure what was going on on that front. Even so, he truly looked up to Toph, his best friend, his partner in crime. But Sokka wasn’t sure what to say. He quickly shook off the burst of feeling in his chest when he heard a loud yelp. 

“Fucking shit!”

Sokka leaped up from the wooden chair, springing into action. Living with a healer had had its perks during the war. The nonbender reached for the kitchen cabinet, swiping a small washcloth from the bottom shelf and running it under the cool tap water. He spun around to inspect the burn, already gnarled and red on the earthbender’s hand. 

And suddenly the tension dissipated as Sokka began to laugh. 

“Wow, Toph. I didn’t expect my roasting would result in a literal burn,” Sokka said in between roars of laughter. 

The blush already gracing her beautiful face deepened to a dark crimson and Toph rammed her fist into Sokka’s side once again, eliciting a loud, “Oof!” from the nonbender. 

He stumbled forward, rubbing his side, yet still keeping his large, warm hand pressed to the burn on her hand. 

“It’s really good to see you again, Sokka,” Toph whispered. 

He stopped wincing and looked down into her emerald green eyes once more, the vibrant color turned milky from disuse. He immediately softened and whispered back, “I’m so glad to see you, too, Toph.”

And it was at that moment that Sokka had realized how close they’d been standing. His gaze drifted down to her lips, already parted, blowing warm breath on his cheek. He couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to kiss those lips. Would they be as soft and luscious as he imagined them to be? He couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to grab her by the waist, run his hands up her muscular arms, down her long locks of-

He stopped as he remembered what he was here for. What he was trying to do. Who he was trying to win back. The nonbender stepped back, clearing his throat and Toph frowned as she backed into the counter, taking the wet washcloth with her. 

“So, you still haven’t told me what you were kissing my doorstep for. Care to explain, Meathead?”

“Okay, first, I was NOT kissing your doorstep, you just...startled me, is all,” Sokka said, a little embarrassed after all. 

“Right, I’m sure you’d much rather be kissing your girlfriend. How is Suki by the way?” she said, her tone unbelievably neutral. 

“That’s actually what I came here to ask you about.”

Toph’s face lit up. “Oh, you want ME to date Suki? Why, I thought you’d never ask, Snoozles!” She crossed her arms over her chest casually, smirking mischievously up at the nonbender. 

Sokka rolled his eyes, exasperated. “No, I- I need a favor. But I need to explain something before, so don’t get mad or freak out on me. Okay?”

The earthbender narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the young man before her (though how she would know to do this, he had no clue). “I make no promises, Snoozles.”

“Fair enough.” He took a deep breath. “So, I asked Suki to move in with me and she said wasn’t ready yet.”

Even if Toph had never really liked the idea of Suki and Sokka together, the shock and sympathy on her face seemed genuine. “But you guys have been together for four years. Do you have an STD or something?” She turned around to pour the tea into the ceramic glasses (carefully). 

Sokka gaped at her. “What the fuck, Toph? No! I’ve never had sex with anyone else.”

She whirled around to scowl at him, the green silk at her hips twirling to meet her on the other side. “You and I both know that’s a lie.”

The nonbender blushed. They were NOT going to bring up that night at the anniversary party. Everything would go MUCH smoother that way. He was going to have to feel his way through this situation. 

He breezed past the topic of that night they’d spend together and grounded himself firmly. “She told me that it would be a good idea if we saw other people first, explore our options. For thirty days.”

Toph was silent. Then, “So, you get to date anyone you want for thirty days. And then, what? She’ll move in with you.”

Sokka nodded before realizing she couldn’t see him. “Uh, yeah. Pretty much.”

“Well, Snoozles, if it weren’t such a ridiculous idea for you two lovebirds, I’d say it’s a pretty nice opportunity. How many girls swoon at the sight of you?”

The young man immediately straightened up, puffing out his chest. “You’re right. I’m quite the ladies' man.” He fought the urge to flex his biceps in the moment, knowing that was the exact thing a jerkwad would do. 

“So, what are you doing over here? It’s not like I’m the most sociable person in the Fire Nation. Or Republic City for that matter. Since we’re all here for Katara’s wedding party, maybe you should ask one of her bridesmaids. Or even Mai might know some great ladies for you to choose from.”

“See, that’s the thing,” Sokka said, awkwardly stretching his arms out in front of him and cringing at the words that were about to come out of his mouth. “I came here to see if you would actually date me. For the whole time. All thirty days.”

Toph froze as if letting the sweet, sweet words sink into her head. Sokka was finally asking her out. Her childhood crush, the man of her dreams, her best friend was asking her out. If she wasn’t so adamant in remaining the perfect image of ‘cool’ she might’ve jumped for joy. Maybe squealed a little bit in her closet later. 

“It would only be for show, of course. Completely fake,” he added. It took all of Toph’s self-control not to deflate like the most miserable balloon in the world right then and there. 

“What?” she asked. 

“Look, I’m not really comfortable with ACTUALLY dating anyone for these thirty days because I’m still with Suki and it’d just feel wrong. I know, Zuko and Aang told me that I’m supposed to be exploring my options and all, but I still love Suki. Nothing is going to change that. Sooo, I was thinking, just to get my real girlfriend off my back, you could maybe PRETEND to be with me for these thirty days?”

Of course, it was all a lie. Of course, there was a catch. Spirits forbid that the universe would actually want her to be happy. That much was clear after her breakup with Satoru. She sighed. There was only one good answer. 

“Sorry, Snoozles. I’m going to have to decline. Good luck finding another temporary girlfriend “

Ouch. Sokka thought rejection might’ve been a little easier considering this was his best friend. But it was also Toph, so who was he kidding? But he was no one if not stubborn. 

“Oh, come on, Toph. What’s wrong? It’s just thirty days of dating the Councilman.”

Toph let out a small laugh before hoisting herself up onto the counter. “I’m not getting caught in your newlywed drama with Fangirl.”

The nonbender huffed, crossing his arms over his chest defensively. “We can’t even move in together. Marriage seems to be a LONG ways off.”

The young woman handed over the steaming ceramic cup to the nonbender, their fingers brushing softly in the exchange. Sokka tried his hardest to ignore the tingles and sparks that shot up through his whole hand. 

He shook his head. “Toph, come on. You’re the only one for me. You’re the only one I know that can make this work. You’re my best friend. Please?”

‘You’re the only one for me.’ Sokka’s words ran through her head over and over again before she finally answered. 

“Hm. What’s in it for me?”

“I’m not sure. I mean, you get to kiss me. I’m pretty sure that should be compensation enough,” Sokka said, smirking. 

Well, that comment was met with a clean smack over the head. “Get over yourself, Snoozles.”

“Okay, okay, fine. What else could you possibly want, apart from my amazing kissing skills?”

Toph tapped her chin, deep in thought for the moment. A slight breeze whipped through the open windows of the house, blowing the earthbender’s hair to the side. The pitch-black strands framed her face as the wind blew through the small rental. She looked like a princess. 

Sokka had been so distracted he didn’t realize Toph had started to speak again. 

“...only fair that I get your boomerang.”

The young man blinked at the earthbender. “I’m sorry. What?”

She rolled her eyes and propped her feet up on the front edge of Sokka’s chair, the blackened soles edging dangerously close to Sokka’s knees as he sat perched on the wood. 

“You found your boomerang after the war, right? If you’re going to use me for thirty days to trick Suki into thinking you're following her weird-ass ‘open season’ plan, then I think it’s only fair that I get your boomerang for thirty days.”

“Wait, so you agree? You’ll do it.”

Toph shook her head, lifting her chin high. “Not so fast, Meathead.” She held out her hand, demanding her compensation. 

Wait, what could you possibly want with my boomerang anyway. You’re blind!”

Toph gasped and smiled, the white of her teeth blinding Sokka. “You finally remembered! What else am I?”

The nonbender hung his head. It was a long while before he answered softly, “The greatest earth bender in the world.”

Toph hummed her approval and shook her hand once more, waiting for her end of the deal.

Sokka sighed, holding up his boomerang. He kissed it, long and hard. “You’ll come back, boomerang. You always do.” Reluctantly, he dropped the weapon into Toph’s waiting hand. “So? You’ll do it?”

She smiled, jumping down from her spot on the counter. Toph closed the small distance between her and Sokka, sliding her hands up his long arms. The nonbender was surprised his heart hadn’t already leaped out of his chest, the way his pulse was going absolutely haywire. 

Toph smirked, kissed his chin, and fought to stifle a small giggle. She locked her arms around Sokka’s neck and patted his cheek. 

“I guess now you’re free to use me like your boomerang.”


	4. Day 3 and 4: the Palace and the Dress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suki goes to visit Zuko and asks him for a favor. The next day is full of mishaps for Toph and Sokka as they get ready for Katara and Aang's wedding party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. Please enjoy these chapters and the fun sexual tension :)  
> (keep in mind, in regards to plot, what I've written here for day 4 is only part of the day)
> 
> Please excuse any formatting issues with the text.

Day 3:   
The gold of the sun was just dissipating in the skies and the pinks and purples of its setting just arriving on the horizon when Fire Lord Zuko encountered an unexpected visitor. 

“Fire Lord, Your Highness-”

“Spit it out, Chang,” Zuko ordered. 

Chang bowed. “Your Highness, there is a member of the Kyoshi Warriors here to see you. I was not sure whether to let her in already because she was relieved of being your palace guard quite early on, but-”

Zuko smiled and held up a hand to cut the guard off. “That’s okay. I don’t need an explanation. Let her in. She’s an old and dear friend of mine.”

Chang bowed his head in deference and stood at attention before leaving to escort the visitor into the throne room. He stepped down from the flames and rushed forward to greet her. 

“Suki! What brings you to the palace?”

Despite his efforts to completely avoid one, Suki placed her arms around Zuko’s waist and crushed his head against her chest, hugging him to her. 

“I’m so glad to see you, Zuko. I actually needed a favor…”

Zuko’s face lit up immediately. “I’d be honored to help you out with anything a Kyoshi Warrior needs. Just say the word and you have it.”

Suki toed at the strategy table guiltily, scrunching her face in indecision. “Well… I’m actually not here on Kyoshi Warrior duties.”

“Oh.”

“I-I came to ask you if you’d be my date to Katara and Aang’s wedding party tomorrow night.”

Zuko stilled and waited for her to say she was kidding, pulling his chain, or something. “Uh...me? Why me? I thought you had Sokka to go with. He IS your boyfriend. Of four years.”

Suki sighed and sat at the strategy table, motioning for Zuko to join her. “You’ve probably already heard about the deal Sokka and I made. Since I’m really just doing this entire thing as an experiment to see what happens, I thought I’d ask you to just be my date to the party. No romance, nothing. A perfectly friendly arrangement.”

“Wait, what? My understanding was that you and Sokka were doing this thing to explore your options. Isn’t that kind of defeating the purpose if you’re fake-dating your friend?”

Suki dismisses his notions at the wave of her hand and proceeds to stare deeper into Zuko’s amber eyes. “Look. I don’t think you understand. I made this deal as an-”

“Experiment, I know. You said that the first time you were explaining. But experiment for WHAT, Suki?”

She hesitates, chewing at a piece of her hair. Something’s wrong, but Zuko’s confused as to what that is in particular. He motions to one of the guards to bring a pot of tea over with some mugs. 

They sit in silence until finally, Suki whispers, “I just need to get back at him. Please.”

The tea arrives just as she slips back into silence and Zuko struggles to get her to meet his gaze once more. He reaches across the table for her hand, and if he blushes, he tries to ignore it. 

He pours her a cup of tea, the steam coating the thick fog of tension and silence around them. She moves her gaze back down into her lap after taking a small sip. 

“Get back at him for what, Suki?” Zuko prods gently. 

At that, she turns her fierce gaze back up at the Fire Lord. “He hurt me so much that night, Zuko. I just need to let him know how I felt.”

He froze as recognition finally dawned on him. He clenched his jaw and looked to the side. And though he hated seeing his close friend, sitting across from him now, bruises and battered from a relationship of all things, he had to ask, “What about Sokka?”

“What about him?” the Kyoshi warrior replied sharply. 

“I just mean...won’t it hurt him? Seeing his best friend with his girlfriend. Or-wait, you guys are still together right?”

“We are,” she said, nodding, “for now at least.”

“I’m just saying, he’s going to be more than a little upset at seeing us together. Didn’t you guys have a rule for this?”

“I told him that no one was off limits. Anyone was possible. So, dating you would be perfectly acceptable,” she added, pulling her knees into her chest and glancing up at Zuko hopefully. 

The Fire Lord sighed and put his ceramic cup down. “Well, then I guess we have a deal.” He held his hand out for the warrior to shake. She did, dutifully, smiling despite the awkward situation at hand. 

Zuko moved to stand before remembering something. “Just uh-nothing too romantic. Please. I just broke up with Mai. It’s a little uncomfortable for me to-”

Suki nodded respectfully. “Sure. I’ll see you tomorrow at the wedding.”

“And Suki?”

She turned around from her spot by the door. “Yes, Zuko?”

“Even if everything blows up in the end...just know that I’ll still be here for you. I’ll always be your friend.”

She smiled and turned back to the door, whispering a soft, “Thank you.”

The door slammed and Zuko sat back down on the dais, the soft, orange flames starting to rise once more. He sighed and rubbed at his temples. What did he just get himself into?

The palace guard moved forward to offer him his cup, the tea in it seemingly gone cold. He growled in frustration and flung the liquid into the fire. 

“Are you all right, Your Highness?”

“Just fine, Chang.”  
_________________  
Day 4: 

This was the day. The moment of truth. The very thing Sokka had been dreading ever since he and Toph had made a new deal. One where he’d had to give up one of his most prized possessions. 

He stood outside her door, antsy once more, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet. 

He knocked on the door again. No reply. He’d been waiting for almost twenty minutes already. Today was the day his little sister was getting married. To the Avatar. As much as he could not wait for this day, he’d started to dread it too. 

Sokka knew that walking into that party with Toph on his arm probably wasn’t the best idea. He knew they’d probably be treading on thin ice the entire time. But there was nothing a little cactus juice couldn’t fix right? Or make the entire thing come down crashing and burning. 

The nonbender decided to take his chances with it. 

He pounded on the door, the creaky rental door almost coming apart at the hinges. This time there was an annoyed shriek in reply. He jumped back from the door as if a banshee might come running for him at that very moment. 

Unfortunately, there was no banshee. Just a very, very frustrated Toph. And half-naked Toph. He covered his eyes as he glimpsed long pale legs. Obviously, she’d only had time to throw on a shirt before answering the door. Of course, that would leave her in-

Sokka shook the thought away and focused on keeping his eyes averted. 

“Snoozles,” she panted, “what the hell are you doing out there when you could be in HERE helping me put this god awful dress on?”

“What dress?” 

“Maybe if you took your hands off your eyes, perv, you’d be able to see it better,” Toph said. 

Sokka reluctantly moved his palm off his eyes and gave the dress in her hands a quick once-over before promptly bursting into laughter. 

“Is Katara making you wear that?” he asked, pointing at the neon pink monstrosity. 

She stamped her foot on the doorstep, the pillars on the sides of the rental creaking under the force. “I fucking hate being a bridesmaid,” she whined. “Especially since I can’t even see what I’m wearing.”

Before the nonbender could say anything else, Toph had dragged him inside, lacing their fingers together and tugging him across the house into her bedroom. Sokka stopped at the doorway. 

“Uh, are you sure you’re okay with me being in here?”

“Why would it be a problem?” she asked, stripping herself of her shirt. Sokka whirled around and sat on the bed, closing his eyes and praying to the spirits. 

“Warning, please!” 

Toph snorted. “Stop being so immature. This must’ve made for some interesting dates. Did you wait for her to take all her clothes off and THEN turn around before you did anything?”

He grumbled. “My sex life is none of your business.”

She rolled her eyes, pulling the set of nylon tights on and swiftly fastening her breast bindings. “You can turn around, Meathead.”

He probably shouldn’t have thought so, but there was something unbelievably sexy about seeing Toph in the pale cloth of her bindings and the dark, sheer tights against her milky, ivory skin. He blinked at her, awestruck.

She kicked at the bedpost nervously. “So? Are you going to help me put this thing on?”

Sokka cleared his throat and moved forward to take hold of the dress, bursting with tulle and glitter. 

“Ugh, where did Katara even get this?”

“She said something about an Aunt Wu. Of course, I wouldn’t know anything about THAT,” Toph huffed, crossing her arms over her chest as Sokka made to undo the clasps at the back of the dress. 

“This thing is so-ugh-complicated. Didn’t you guys have a little arrangement to get ready before the wedding together? The girls probably could’ve helped,” he said struggling to even OPEN the zipper. 

Toph snorted. “Yeah, right, like I’d want to go spend two whole hours before you picked me up listening to a bunch of girls scream and rave over how Katara looks. And then, of course, there’s all the drinking.”

“But you used to drink with me all the time, Toph.”

She looked down shyly and pulled a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “That was you. That's different.”

He smiled, glancing over at her. “Okay. Well, I think I got this figured out. If you could just put your arms over your head…” 

These movements were similar to a mother guiding her son or daughter into their clothes after a warm bath, the familiar, drowsy warmth that they’d feel after being lathered in oils and lotion and weird perfume.

But Toph’s hair, still slightly damp from her bath, snagged on the clasp as Sokka pulled the neon monstrosity over her head, breaking her out of her reverie. 

“Ow! Watch it, Snoozles. I actually need my hair to look decent.” 

“What are you talking about? You always look beautiful.”

She paused, concentrating. Then asked, “You really mean that?”

It was only then that Sokka seemed to realize what he’d said and his pulse jumped quickly. “Oh! Um, yeah, sure. Of course. Mhm.”

She forced a smile and pulled the rest of the dress over her head. “Well, I guess it helps if you think your fake date is pretty.”

His hand twitched nervously at his side. He wanted to tell her that wasn’t what he’d meant. That he wasn’t lying about it. That she must have misinterpreted his pulse. All thoughts went out the window as she wriggled her head and arms through the appropriate holes in the dress and popped up on the other side, blowing warm breath onto Sokka’s mouth. 

His eyes widened. He wanted to pull away. But Toph was grasping his elbows, pressed into his chest, looking up at Sokka with her lips parted once again.   
He leaned down without thinking. 

“Um! Zip?” Toph practically screamed into his face. 

Sokka flinched and stumbled back. “Wh-what?” He scrubbed a hand down his face, desperate to get his thoughts together as quickly as possible.

“Could you zip the back up?”

Great, he thought. More skin-to-skin contact. It’s time for me to have a heart attack. Better hope there’s a hospital nearby. 

Toph turned around, then, moving her damp hair over her shoulder to reveal the gaping hole in the back. He did a double-take and gasped. 

“Toph, there’s something wrong with the dress!”

She groaned and hung her head. “What now?”

“There’s a huge hole in the back.”

She growled and hauled around to punch him in the stomach. “Meathead. It’s a backless dress! Quit fooling around and zip the damn thing up.”

Sokka heaved a breath, struggling to stand up. He clutched at his stomach and moaned. “I think I’m dying.”

Toph rolled her eyes and held up her fist again, threateningly. 

“Okay, okay! I’ll zip it up. No complaints.”

His hands roved downwards to the small of her back, the tantalizing sight of her skin coated in a small piece of diaphanous yellow fabric. He reached for the zipper at the base of her spin. The cool metal brushed her skin and Toph hissed. He whispered an apology and began the zipper’s trek up her spine. He tried his hardest not to let his fingers accidentally brush the skin of her back, slowly moving the zipper up the middle of her back where her bindings ended.   
He exhaled, relieved. She turned slowly, coiling her hair into a small bun, unlike her usual hairstyle. Despite the highlighter of a dress, Sokka thought she looked stunning. Her face was flushed red and her eyelids drooped downwards sluggishly as if they didn’t want to stay open, leaving mystery to whatever lay shadowed beneath her lashes. The atrocious dress pulled taut against her curves and she looked as if she was a flower, blooming before his very eyes. 

He blinked and looked down. The bottom of her dress caught his eye, the crinkly ends stuck on his dress shoe. “Hey, Toph. I think your-”  
But she had turned around already, dragging his boot forward, making his right foot slip forward onto the floor. His left foot stayed back. It was painful. To say the least. As if in response to the tumble, Toph fell backward, landing ungracefully on top of Sokka, her butt hitting his chest. He tried and failed to suck in a breath as he fell backward. 

“Toph,” he gasped, “get off-please-”

“Oh, my spirits. I’m so sorry. I’ll-”

But as soon as she swung herself off of Sokka’s body, the stupid crinkly corner of her dress stayed put on Sokka’s shoe, swinging him forward next to Toph’s knee like a rag doll. He shrieked and immediately covered his mouth. 

“Did you just...shriek?” she asked while attempting to stand up. Her bun had fallen out of its loose hold and she staggered onto her feet, the crinkly corner of the dress STILL attached to Sokka’s shoe. He groaned as he jerked forward on the stone floor. Reaching forward, he grabbed for the dress but Toph had already moved for his shoe. They bumped heads, the sight being almost comical, as they doubled back onto their heels seeing stars. 

“Ow,” the earthbender said as she moved to lay down, not caring if she spoiled the dress.

Sokka only groaned in response. Instead of trying again, he slipped his shoe off and fell back against the stone. 

“Is this what would’ve happened if you’d gotten ready with Katara as she’d asked?”

Toph bit her lip and thought for a moment. “Eh, it’d probably be worse.”

He started to laugh, a big rumbling laugh from the depths of his belly. She joined in soon. He wiped the tears from his eyes and moved to sit over Toph, straddling her hips and gazing into the milky emerald depths. 

He lifted a hand to brush away a piece of hair from her forehead and couldn’t help grinning even wider. They were back. Toph and him. They were finally back.


	5. Day 4 (cont.d)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toph and Sokka have a little tea shop adventure. And there are, of course, some feelings involved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good hecking lord. I am so sorry that it took me ages and ages to post this chapter. I should be studying for a test right now, but who cares, I needed to write this. It looks like a little bit of a filler chapter but things are getting spiced up! Hopefully, you like it! And I'll try to work more on this story - creativity seems to come in short bursts. Always. *sigh*

Day 4 (continued): 

Toph cleared her throat as she felt him pressed against her thigh, her hips, her stomach. She blushed hotly and sat up, brushing him off of her lap. In all the chaos, his shoe had remained ever-so attached to the hem of her neon pink monstrosity of a dress. The earthbender stifled a giggle and gently pulled the leather weight off the end of her dress. 

She felt him through the floor as he looked at her, their heartbeats wild and racing from the thrill of just laughing, their balance still a little off from the disastrous head-bonk. Sokka noticed the flush of Toph’s cheeks, the lilt in the corners of her mouth, her tired but happy eyes. It sent a pang through him so deep, and he allowed himself to remember a little bit from that dreaded night. The night everything blew up. 

His hands fisting locks of hair, dark as night. His lips swollen and bruised from the effort of kissing. Her tinkling laugh in his ear as he hovered over her, waiting for something and nothing at all. Just waiting. And then disaster struck. Sokka shook his head to stop the guilt from once again seeping into his head, and he moved forward, brushing his best friend off despite her protests, smoothing out the creases in her bodice. 

“What time is it?” she asked, breaking him further out of his reverie. 

He glanced outside, at the horizon and inhaled sharply. There was still an insane amount of time to kill. But the awkward silence crept up his spine, seeming to mock him, guilt him. And he turned around, saying, “Let’s go to Iroh’s tea shop.”

She shot him a confused glance. “He opened one in the fire nation?”

“When he declared International Tea Appreciation Day a holiday, he had a bunch of little shops set up in his name in the fire nation. Rumor has it he just likes to pop in on them when he feels like it.”

“Sounds like Uncle Iroh,” she said, moving towards the window to get a better “look” at the grounds. There was less bustle, a calm settling over this particular apartment complex as the sun continued to dip further down the sky. Toph felt it shine on her face, bathing her in a warm glow. And Sokka could’ve marched up to her, kissing her straight on the mouth. 

He turned away, grabbing her cardigan and draping it over her shoulders. She slid her arms through it and Sokka heard a  _ clunk  _ as she slipped her right arm in the hole. He raised his brow expectantly. And she pulled out his boomerang. 

Sokka’s mouth practically watered at the sight. His fingers itched to take his lovely weapon back into his arms, his coat, to kiss it like it was his lover (although that would’ve been stranger than strange, so he refrained from doing just that). He took a step backward, barely able to keep himself from snatching the damn thing from Toph’s hands. She smirked and waved the thing at him tantalizingly. 

“As long as you’re using  _ me,  _ this is staying with me. So, don’t even think about it, Snoozles.”

He stamped his foot and whined out loud. “Ugh, Toph, come on. My boomerang is like my extra limb. You can’t expect me to just  _ give it up. _ ”

Instead of her usual reaction of laughing and teasing for about five minutes longer than necessary, Toph looked off into the distance, mumbling under her breath. “You certainly did it the first time.”

Well, that was weird. He played the sentence over again in his head. Even thinking back to two years ago, he couldn’t seem to figure out what she meant. And to be quite frank, his head still ached and they had time to kill before a wedding. Obsessing about the tragic events of Zuko’s Firelord Anniversary Party was not going to be the way he spent it. 

He grabbed her hand, yanking her over to the door as he inched the thing open, peering closely at the doorstep so as to avoid tripping. 

Toph could feel him smirking at her, his mouth slowly curling up into a devilish grin. And suddenly, they were children again. 

“Race you to the tea shop!” he screamed. And then he was off. 

“What the- I don’t even know where it fucking is, Meathead!” 

“Sucks to suck, I guess.”

“Suck yourself!”

“Eh, I mean I guess it’s possible but I haven’t tried.”

“SNOOZLES.”

“What?”

She grinned as he slowed a little. Because when did Toph Beifong let a little innuendo bother her?

Apparently, never. 

“Catch you later, Meathead!” And she zoomed past him, straight to the fountain outside the tea shop. 

“You’re going to pay for that, you cheater.”

“It’s not cheating if I’m using my _advantages._ Come on, learn to think- a little- on- _phew._ ” She panted and struggled to continue forth towards the spray of water against the sounds of glasses clinking and voices mingling. The wind flipped her hair back as she raced forward, not caring if a tornado flew through the locks right now. 

“Is Toph Beifong a little out of shape? I would’ve thought with the police training you’re administering, you must be kicking some-”

“I am  _ not  _ out of shape,” she yelled as she propelled herself forward and plopped her butt down on the fountain seat, just barely missing falling into the water, sweating in her neon pink bridesmaid dress. 

Sokka slowed to a jog, smiling. “Huh. Looks like you still got it, Beifong.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t know when I would’ve ever lost it.”

“It’s been a while.”

She looked up then, straight at him, and he flinched. But he didn’t look away. “Yeah, it has,” she said. 

He reached down then, forgoing her hands and reaching for her waist. He propped her up on her feet like a small dancing doll, twirling around in a music box. And Toph blushed again. He could always make her feel girly. But he never underestimated her strength. 

Good lord.  _ Calm down, hormones. He’s just a sweet guy. Your middle-grade crush on him means nothing. _

He led her into the tea shop, nudging her gently towards a table in the middle of the restaurant. It smelled strongly of leaves and honey, like a garden on a hot summer night. 

He grips her hand in his as she rounds the table, pulling out her chair. Honestly, she doesn’t mind the touch. Toph bites her lip, looking shyly down at the table. They’d been best friends. This is what they did. Hold hands. Maybe. Sort of. Kind of? 

She wasn’t sure. 

Her thoughts were interrupted as Iroh emerged from the back room, clad in a “Kiss the Cook” apron and red fire nation robes. He smiled wide, laughing heartily as he recognized his guests. 

He approached the table and arched his brow in surprise, watching Sokka’s thumb rub slow but sure circles into the back of Toph’s hand. Color was evident on her cheeks for just about the eightieth time that night and she rubbed at her face to ward off the crimson, but Iroh shook his head knowingly. 

He placed his hand on their shoulders, nodding to both of them. “Sokka, Toph. It’s wonderful to see you again. And in my tea shop! Glad to know International Tea Appreciation Day got some people to come celebrate more, every day.”

They nodded at him, but Sokka continued glancing over at Toph, his eyes seeming to look for something in her downturned face. 

Iroh cleared his throat. “You know, you two make a beautiful couple. I always thought something like this would happen between you two. How long?”

Toph’s head snapped up, her eyes widening as she blinked frantically in Sokka’s direction. “Oh, uh, we’re actually not da-”

She didn’t finish, Sokka’s hand coming to clap her directly on the mouth. She yelped and attempted to push him off, but he wasn’t deterred. “YES. Yes,” he said, instead. “We are...we’re dating! Right, right. She’s just being silly.” He pointed to a  _ very  _ annoyed Toph. 

Iroh just smiled, his eyes roving over them skeptically as Sokka removed his hands from Toph’s mouth. “Oh. Well, still that’s wonderful. My congratulations to you both.”

But the non-bender just smiled, ignoring the practically audible eye-roll from Toph. 

Maybe tea was a bad idea. 

As the older man turned to brew a pot of green tea, Sokka slammed his fists on the table. He once again wrenched Toph up out of her seat and dragged her out of the restaurant. 

“Are you crazy? We’re supposed to be telling people we’re dating! We can’t just go picking and choosing, I mean Suki’s smart and she’ll definitely-”

The ground rumbled and he was shot up into the air, a ragdoll of carelessness as Toph kicked furiously at the ground. Sokka, now in a tree, grumbled and squirmed around on the rough branch. 

“Did you  _ have  _ to slap me on the mouth?”

“Oh, come on,” Sokka sighed. “I didn’t actually slap you.”

Toph rolls her eyes again (pretty impressively, he might’ve added, for someone who hardly knew if she was even doing it remotely right). “If I could see, my mouth would probably be red. Is it red? It certainly feels red.”

“Stop overreacting, you’re fine.”

“Ex- _ cuse _ me? Overreacting? I’ll show YOU overreacting,” the earthbender said, her foot poised over the ground, ready to strike once more. 

He yelped. “Toph, please. The least you could do is be nice to me after-”

“The least  _ I  _ could do?”

“Hey! You get to have my boomerang because of this stupid deal.”

“It’s  _ your _ deal. You came and asked me to fake-date you because your sorry ass can’t get another real girl to date you.”

He scoffed. “That’s not what I told you. I just don’t feel comfortable with dating other women for real while-”

“That’s bullshit, and you know it.”

“Why can’t you just respect the damn deal, Toph” he whines. “It’s just acting. Don’t be so  _ blah  _ about everything, it matters to me.  _ Suki  _ matters to me. I don’t have time for you to be ignorant about the whole thing.”

And she lets out a sound close enough to a wail yet not at all. “Me? Ignorant?” She stabs a finger in his direction, muttering under her breath, “How can you stand there and tell me that after everything that happened? After what you did to me.”

She was on the verge of tears. He could tell, even if he wasn’t looking at her. He always knew when Toph was about to cry, the painful feeling that filled his chest as her throat got tight and scratchy and her voice turned weepy. The answering reaction in his chest hurt. Like rocks, stabbing at his insides. 

It was different with Suki. When she cried, all he wanted to do was lock himself in a closet and will away the sound of her sobs from his mind, the discomfort it brought so disturbing. All he wanted to do now was wrap her up in a big hug and rub her back until the hiccuping sobs petered out against his neck. But he couldn’t, of course. 

And he told her, “I never wanted to.”

Her face fell, and she looked down at her toes, digging them into the grass to keep from screaming. 

Sokka maneuvered his body around the branches, awkwardly stepping onto a stump sticking out from the side. And Toph made no moves to help him. He sighed, dragging his feet over to her figure when he hit the grassy earth. 

“Toph?”

“What, Meathead?” she barked. 

He grabbed her hand, smiling warmly at her even though he knew she couldn’t quite tell. “Ah, come on Toph. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

She swiped at her eyes and the memories in her mind. “Whatever,” Toph huffed.

He pulled her closer, placing her palm on his chest. “Please forgive me?”

She remained silent. He tugged on her hand again, pulling her other arm around his shoulder. He drawled on, his voice lowering sensuously. “Toph. Tooooph.” He placed a kiss on her forehead and she went rigid. 

“Quit it.”

“Do you want a kiss?” he asked innocently, bringing her hand to his lips. “To make you feel better.”

Everything in her head told her it would be the opposite. If she kissed him right now, there was no going back. Except to  _ that night _ . Damn it. Why did it always have to come down to the same moment? 

She decided to play it safe, pulling him along as she talked. “Where? My feet?” she joked.

He stumbled forward. They were already pretty close to the venue, so he trotted along in his leather shoes like a happy horse. 

Sokka said nothing as they stopped in front of the building, the crowd bustling in and out of the large french doors. He tugged Toph back as she sneakily tried to escape. 

“You’re my date. Where are you going to go?”

She mumbled something under her breath and kicked at his leather shoes before sighing and “looking” up at the now pink and purple sky. “How should I know? I thought I was being  _ ignorant _ .”

Before she could say or do anything, he tilted her chin up and to the side. And before she knew it, there was the soft smack of lips, a tender softness at her cheek as her lips parted in surprise. She moved forward, closing her eyes and resting her head on his soft chest, sniffing his scent deeply. If she didn’t know any better, her arms might’ve encircled his waist.  _ Oh, what the heck? Fake date, right?  _

And he hugged her to him. Female softness against the hard ridges and curves of Sokka’s body. It had been a while since he had just  _ held  _ a woman. Lately, it had just felt like his goal was to get laid. There was no point to the sex. He wondered what it would be like, now, with Toph. 

But before his mind could explore it any further, Toph pulled back abruptly, shifting her seismic sense to view something near the very entrance of the venue. She furrowed her brow. 

She tugged on his arm. “We should go find a different entrance or something.”

“What?”  
She let out a nervous whinny. “Oh! Look, the stairs are broken. Wouldn’t want to fall and break my hip!”

“Toph. You’re almost twenty years old.”

She hunched over, pretending to walk with a cane, pulling him in the other direction, keeping him from looking behind him (although  _ she  _ was rubbing her foot against the ground, feeling for the still-occurring spectacle in front of her). “Oh, no. Granny needs help walking. Come to the beach.”

“My sister’s getting married soon. I don’t have time for the beach. Sorry, Toph.” Forget dates and deals. He wasn’t missing this. He pulled her into her chest and she yelped while he pressed another soft kiss to the side of her head this time. He stepped back and Toph grabbed his arm, a frantic look in her eye. 

_ Oh, please.  _ Sokka tapped his foot a bit impatiently and swiveled around dramatically.

But it was all it took not to let his face crumple. The effort it was taking to not scream, to not cry out, to not make a damn scene in public was miraculous. He needed an award. A Nobel Peace Prize. Something. 

But he wanted it out. He wanted it out of his brain. He couldn’t get it out of his brain, as Suki laughed and laughed and laughed on _Zuko’s_ arm, and he peppered chaste kisses all over her face. 


	6. That Night (a flashback - 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "She had said nothing, burrowing her face deeper into his sleeveless tunic. And he held her for the rest of the ride, listening to the sound of her soft breathing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I don't like posting huge chapters, here's a small part featuring the Firelord Anniversary Party. It's almost time for everything to blow up in just about everyone's faces. Or does it? Well, you'll find out soon enough. Enjoy!

Two years ago:

Suki stopped in the middle of the hall when she saw the roses and champagne in a bucket, petals littering the floor, the sweet smell of flowers in the air. According to the note she just found, Sokka was waiting for her in the bath. But she couldn’t care less about Sokka and his bare ass in the tub. 

She stomped in and turned the dimmed lights up to full strength. Sokka, true to his nickname, had been snoozing in the tub, waiting for his girlfriend to return from her obligations as a Kyoshi warrior. But his face paled as he realized her cheeks were flushed with bright, hot anger. He sighed as he waited for the inevitable. 

“Are you absolutely out of your mind?”

“What are you talking about? I wanted to surprise you, a nice bath with champagne, a hot dinner before the party. Just the two of us. Something nice,” he said, holding his hand out for Suki to take. She stomped her foot on the tile, the hard slap echoing throughout his apartment. 

“Of course you’d be oblivious to the amount of money you just wasted. If you hadn’t figured it out recently, you bet on something in the market and lost a  _ lot  _ of money.”

“Gee, thanks for the reminder. Look, I know it’s been stressing you out, but-”

“Yeah, and congratulations because at this rate I’ll be pulling my hair out.” She rubbed at her temples. “Why do you have to be so  _ stupid _ ?”

“Suki, come on. It was just something small I was doing for you. I know you’re more than a little strung up about this and I thought this would’ve helped. I wasn’t wasting money. You  _ matter  _ to me, Suki.”

She turned on him. “Every little thing counts, Sokka. Everything you do has consequences.”

He scoffed and splashed the water in her face. “Well excuse me for trying to change something here.”

She huffed and stalked out of the room as Sokka sank down deep into the water and blew bubbles, trying his damned hardest to hit something right now. 

Three hours later and he was dressed in silky fire nation robes and dark dress pants. A swoon-worthy outfit at best. 

“Well? How do I look?”

He turned and gave her a once-over. Her hair was pulled back in a half-up, half-down, her Kyoshi makeup gone, and she was dressed in a beautiful dress of pink, fading into red. It was different from Ty Lee’s pink. This was like the inside of a strawberry, the light pink of a flamingo-cow’s body. But his chest panged and he looked away for a second, guiltily. Forcing a smile, he reached for her hand. 

“You look beautiful, Suki.” And he pressed a chaste, brotherly kiss upon her cheek. 

They’d been fighting for so, so long. And to be truly honest, they were starting to lose it. The spark, the sizzle, everything interesting about their romance that had led them to start in the first place. When that was gone, there were just hours of endless, useless bickering. It had seemed fun at first, their nights ending with them making love frantically as if their fighting had just been the buildup. But soon, that too fell away, and they were left turning away from each other at night, lying awake for hours. 

He held out an arm for her and she looped her own through, squeezing his bicep for reassurance. But he wasn’t sure about anything. In fact, he wouldn’t have been surprised if they’d ended it that night. But he shook his head. They’d be fine for tonight. They had to be. 

____________________________

As soon as they’d gotten to the party, they’d split, Suki lurching forward from his arms to find Katara, and him scrambling to find Zuko. He’d smashed into him just as the band started their familiar tune of cave music once more. 

“Sokka? Is that you?” Zuko said as he turned around. 

“Oh, thank Tui and La.”

“It’s so great to see you!” the Firelord yelled over the din of the Tsungi horn solo. “Did you come alone? Where’s Suki?”

He let out a nervous laugh at the sound of her name and clapped Zuko on the shoulder. “She went off to find Katara, who is probably off making out with Aang.  _ Oogies _ ,” he said, shuddering. “But I came to say congratulations! It’s been two years as Firelord. Spirits, your coronation seems like it was just yesterday.”

Zuko blushed, busying himself with the elegant design on his new robes. Must’ve been a present. “Yeah, it does all feel really fast. But I’d never give up what I have. A great girlfriend, amazing friends, stand-in little sisters who don’t go crazy and buy me nice robes instead.”

Sokka snorted at that. “Stand-in little sister? Like who?”

Zuko opened his mouth to answer but a soft giggle came from behind him before the Firelord could say anything. The nonbender turned around. 

His. Jaw. Dropped.

Gone was the Toph of twelve years old that only rose up about three feet off the ground. Gone was the Toph’s stringy figure of youth. Gone was Toph’s chubby, childish cheeks. Gone was her need to make the most dramatic entrance in town. Gone was her tendency to look down at practically nothing. She seemed to stare up into the eyes of Zuko and Sokka as she approached, hips swaying slightly, blind eyes twinkling slightly with mischief. Seventeen years and she still had it. 

“Hey, Meathead. Asking about me, were you?” she said as she slung her arm around Zuko’s shoulder (which Sokka thought was impressive, considering how short she still seemed next to the firebender). 

The nonbender waves his hand in the air dismissively, determined to deter them from the flush in his cheeks. “Maybe, maybe not. What’s it to you?”

“I mean, I  _ am _ the Greatest Earthbender of All Time. I wouldn’t mind if you asked about me since most people would,” she teased, looking at the undersides of her nails. Sokka’s gaze trailed down to the curve of her nose, her pink lips drawn between her teeth as she bit them absent-mindedly. 

“Oh, really?” he joked back, leaning forward onto his elbows. 

She smiled and leaned to meet him in the middle. “Of course, Snoozles.”

And then he was lost, in her eyes. But all he could think about was how he never did this with Suki. He’d never just stared at her for long enough to  _ admire  _ her. Most accounts of five-second staring led to an hour of desperate fucking. He watched her smile while it felt like time slowed, and it was just the two of them. 

“O-kay.”

Sokka shot back, plopping down into a seat behind the tall table. Toph scrubbed a hand over her face, forcing a smile when she, too, sat down at the table.

“Hey, look. There’s Katara and Aang. Want to get the whole Gaang back together again?” Zuko asked. 

Sokka nodded vigorously, determined to escape the awkwardness of the situation. 

The three of them stalked towards the middle of the room, Toph jumping happily into the air, grabbing Sokka’s arm tightly as the room jostled. And he felt like they were twelve and fifteen again, riding on Appa, her clutching desperately at his arms wrap and bicep like she was fighting to hold on. She’d turned her face into his shoulder and whispered so softly, it seemed to mix with the roar of the wind. 

_ “Can I tell you something?”  _

_ “Of course, you can.” _

_ “I’m afraid. I’m afraid and I don’t like it at all.” _

Sokka hadn’t known what to say then. Because Toph Beifong? Being scared? This was unheard of and the most blasphemous thing he’d ever heard. But still, he’d pulled her closer into his shaky embrace and whispered back. 

_ “It’s okay, Toph. I’m here, I’m here. Always.” _

She had said nothing, burrowing her face deeper into his sleeveless tunic. And he held her for the rest of the ride, listening to the sound of her soft breathing. 

He’s brought back to the sound of Katara squealing, pulling her into a bone-crushing hug. And then, of course, slapping him lightly on the cheek because he knows all too well that he’s forgotten to visit. 

“It’s so good to see you again,” he’s told for the second time that evening. 

And he knows how precious this moment is. All of them, together in a room again. The war had been constant fighting, conjuring up game plans, and thinking on your feet. Now, they were just...friends. And he smiled as they tackled one another, fighting to encircle each other in their own arms. 

Toph is the first to pull back, laughing when Katara pinches her waist, threatening her to join back in. 

“Not a fan of the group hugs, Beifong?”

“I can only get so much of a whiff of your smelly pits,” she joked, waving her hand in front of her nose. 

“I’m sure ours pale in comparison to yours.”

She rolled her eyes. “Nah, it must be the dirt from outside the Academy. Soiled with the blood, sweat, and tears from all of my victims.”

“ _ Victims?” _

Toph shrugged, bringing her shoulders up to her ears. “What can I say? The Academy is intense.”

“No, I’m just saying, if your students keep coming back to  _ that  _ place, the Toph Beifong Charm must be a little off.”

His shoulder was met with a strong but gentle punch as she murmured a soft, “Shut up.”

He let out a surprised laugh and blushed. And another conversation played out through his head. 

_ “...he’d be proud of you.” _

_ Zuko smiled sheepishly, pulling his cloak back until Toph’s fist rammed into the curve of his bicep.  _

_ “Ow! What was that for?” _

_ Instead of her usual snark, she smiled, toeing the rug on the floor. “That’s how I show affection.” _

Sokka couldn’t have helped thinking of all the times she’d punched  _ him. _ But that was ridiculous. When was  _ he  _ the object of Toph’s affection? He cleared his throat and turned away to hide the crimson on his cheeks. 

The earthbender pulled him back to her, her chest pressed up against his elbow distractingly. He gulped and looked down at the emerald green depths. 

“All caught up, Snoozles?” she asked. 

The corners of his mouth turned down suspiciously as he pulled back at arm's length. “Please don’t tell me you’re going to ask me to dance?” The last thing he wanted was to step on everyone’s feet. 

She closed her eyes and her mouth tipped into a devilish grin. “Nope. Cactus juice. Come on.” Toph dragged him over to the bar, pulling out a stool for him. 

And he stared into her eyes again, mesmerized by the milky white and shimmering green of it all, not even stopping when the barkeep came to shove two glasses in front of their noses. 

The earthbender broke their “stare” and grasped at the wooden mug’s handle. “Bottom’s up.”


	7. That Night (a flashback - 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dive further into the flashback at Zuko's Firelord Anniversary Party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah so things might blow up in everyone's faces, or they may not? That's for you to find out. Enjoy reading :)

Katara coughed, wincing as her brother stood up on the nearest table and belted out a rather filthy variation of Secret Tunnel. He and Toph had started drinking an hour ago but the earthbender in question was nowhere to be seen at the moment. She sighed and moved forward to pull Sokka down before Zuko could turn around and feast his own eyes on the spectacle. 

“Sokka, get down from there.”

He blinked, his eyes bleary, and stepped down shakily onto the chair with Katara gently coaxing him from the top of the table. But before she could do anything, he skipped from the top and ran into the hallway, giggling like a child. 

“Sokka!” Katara rubbed her temples and slumped into the nearest chair before feeling a slight nudge at her shoulder. 

She looked up to see Aang, his face immediately softening as their eyes met. 

“Having a nice time, dearest?”

The waterbender sighed and propped her chin up into the palm of her hand. “Sure, sweetie.”

Aang grabbed a plate of tofu and sat down at the waterbender’s side, kissing her cheek softly. 

_______________________

Sokka screamed as he ran down the halls of the palace, not particularly caring who he happened to bump into. He wouldn’t be seeing half these people again. Unless, of course, they decided to come to the anniversary next year as well. He gulped and hoped the man whose foot he just smashed wasn’t there for the coming celebrations. 

As he turned to look out the large, arching windows at the side of the palace, he ran smack-dab into a tiny body. He might’ve apologized any other time. But for now, he was drunk. So he burst out into another fit of giggles and mockingly extended a hand to the moaning pile of limbs sprawled across the floor. 

“Jeez, Snoozles,” Toph said with a slight hiccup. “You sure can take a woman down. Although,” she raised her fists threateningly, “I could still take  _ you. _ ”

Sokka weakly punched at the air and Toph hiccuped once more, springing up onto her feet. She shook her head, her thoughts quickly becoming muddy.  _ What time is it? Did they already cut the huge cake? Was Sokka supposed to go home by now? Don’t go home. I’ll miss you.  _

“I’m not going anywhere, Toph,” he whispered, leaning into the wall, inches away from leaning into her. Guess she must have said it aloud then. Her breath caught and her cheeks grew pink with a drunken flush. Honestly, she could’ve stayed like this forever. 

But she rolled her eyes, grabbed Sokka’s hand and dragged him outside. 

“But...Suki…” he groaned. A weird feeling needled at Toph’s chest and she squirmed dramatically. 

“You’re drunk,” she said flatly. If they were going to make any progress sobering up, there was no way it would be inside the palace with a whole bar full of cactus juice flavors. 

“So are you.”

They reached the sand, stumbling onto the grainy surface, tripping in the dips and curves of the land. But even as she lurched forward, her hands coming to rest in a vise-like grip on Sokka’s arm, old memories resurfaced. And Sokka walked his best friend alongside the calm push and pull of the tides. 

“So,” she starts. “It’s been a while since we’ve done...that.”

“Gotten drunk as shit? Or made fools of ourselves in front of every single one of our friends again?”

Toph grinned up at him, her emerald green eyes twinkling. “Both.”

“Well, Suki will be a little less pleased than you are,” he said, frowning. 

The earthbender went rigid. “Are you okay?”

“Fine. Why do you ask?”

“You just...keep asking about her.” She averted her gaze to the moon, closing her eyes as she felt the pale light bathe her in its glow. 

“We’ve been having a rough time,” he said, shifting his hand to the back of his head. 

“Rough?”

“Fighting. Lots of it.”

“Ah.”

Then it was silent, the only sounds in the distance of the wind whipping through the trees and the din of the party from yards away. Toph clutched at Sokka’s arm tighter, desperation seeping through her being as she willed him to say something else. 

“How’s the Academy?” he said after a pregnant pause. 

“Ho Tun, Penga, and the Dark One are helping teach the classes. It’s wonderful. They’re all doing so well. And...things are looking up for the Academy itself. We’re hoping to officially partner up with some companies in Republic City to get more publicity and help more earthbenders discover metalbending. It’s really fascinating you should- what?”

Sokka smiled. “It’s just...I’ve never seen you get so excited about something like that before. What happened to the chill and tough Toph? The one that never lets her guard down.”

Her eyes crinkled prettily at the corners as she grinned up at him, wide. “I’m with you. That’s different.” And she burrowed deeper into the crook of Sokka’s elbow. He bit at his cheek to stop from smiling like a complete psychopath.  _ Just like old times.  _

“There,” she said after a while, pointing to a small area on the dock, where they could hang their legs off the side. It scared the crap out of Toph. But she squeezed the nonbender’s bicep and plopped her butt down on the dock. 

She let go, soon, only to slam her fist into his shoulder. Only this time, not so gentle. She sounded very nearly on the verge of tears or a fit of spasmodic laughter. His mind still whirled and his thoughts were  _ barely  _ there in his head so he just swayed to the side and nudged his best friend back, not saying anything quite yet. 

“Did you miss me, Snoozles?” Her voice was full of mischief and she fought to stifle a giggle against her sandy and wet palm. 

Sokka, despite being so bubbly and drunk for the past hour or so, turned to Toph and stared into her milky white eyes. He said, “Yes. I did.” 

A bemused expression overtook the earthbender’s face and she cocked her head to the side. 

An overwhelming urge to kiss the girl in front of him seemed to materialize out of thin air and Sokka pushed it aside pathetically. It shoved its way to the front of his head until, there it was in flashing lights,  _ kiss her kiss her kiss her kiss her kiss her.  _

“Of course I have Toph.”

What point is there to fighting this urge? He doesn’t have anything to go back to. Relationship? They were a pair of hog-monkeys, fighting over everything and absolutely nothing. That wasn’t a relationship. And so he eased himself forward, pressing his thigh against hers ever so softly. 

He didn’t love Suki. He didn’t love Suki. He didn’t love Suki. If he repeated it enough times, it would finally sink into his shit brain wouldn’t it? If he avoided impending doom indefinitely, it would never come. And so he evaded and dodged, pressing his palm on to Toph’s kneecap. She stiffened and turned her face toward his. 

Her eyes widened as she felt his soft breath on her nose, her eyes, her mouth. Even drunk, he smelled wonderful, like the last living embers of a fire and the warm feeling of closeness. Her chest heaved as new thoughts ricocheted throughout the inside of her head. 

They sat there, waiting, Toph’s eyes glistening a translucent green in the moonlight, her hands trembling as she slid them up Sokka’s shoulders. And then, they were kissing. Unabashedly, fierce, passionate, like they hadn’t seen each other for thirty years and would never again. If Sokka had to be honest, that was how it felt nowadays. He growled at the thought and yanked her closer, tilting her head farther and farther, their lips moving languorously slow now. 

It could have been days. Hours. Years. Decades. Maybe even more before they broke apart, ragged breathing and heaving chests like they’d just ran a marathon. 

Toph fought the familiar tickling feeling of a love-sick grin on her face and she turned her face into her shoulder, afraid he would see it and stop. Stop touching her. Stop kissing her.  _ I’ve really gone and done it now.  _ But then she remembered something, the nagging at the back of her head throbbing like a tiny pulse. 

She spoke, her voice husky, and said. “But-but what about Suki?”

Toph could feel his unease and she reached across his lap to grasp at his hand. He looked down at her appreciatively and brought her palm to his mouth, pressing his lips to her calluses soft and slow. 

It was another minute before he answered. “I’m not sure we were meant to be. But,  _ Toph. _ This.  _ This. _ ”

And he didn’t have to say anything else. She knew what he meant and she finally allowed herself one love-sick grin. They were drunk. Who cared? Sokka, she hoped. And he did. 

He pulled her into his lap, carefully maneuvering her against his chest, pressing his forehead lightly to hers like he was pressing his thoughts straight into her brain.  _ I’m not going to drop you.  _

So, she replied with a nudge in response.  _ I trust you. Always.  _

And he pressed his lips to hers once more, slow and gentle, kind and caring. Loving. Love. Did he love her? The realization hit Sokka like a boat. Has that been why they’ve missed each other for so long? Has that been why he’s always felt a little antsy whenever he hangs out with Suki? Has that been why nothing ever works out for him in relationships anymore? Because Toph is never there? Because he isn’t  _ with  _ Toph? The liquor seemed to swish around in his head, making his thoughts murky and he decides right then and there that  _ yes.  _ Of course. It makes so much more sense now. All this time he’s been in love with Toph. 

He told her with his kisses, nipping slightly at her lower lip, pressing tender kisses to her throat and jaw.  _ I love you I love you I love you I love you.  _ He couldn’t say it enough. 

But she said it back, nibbling at his neck, peppering quick kisses onto his cheek.  _ Me too. So much. Always. Forever. I love you I love you I love you I love you.  _

He pulled back, pressing one last, tiny kiss to her nose. “We shouldn’t do this.” And before her face can fall any further, he adds, “Not here.”

She nodded vigorously, already tugging at the strings of Sokka’s robes absent-mindedly. 

And they ran off, barging into a random room, hurrying to rid themselves of their stockings and robes. She slipped her hand up the side of his face, catching him as he tugged his belt off and pushed her playfully down onto the bed. 

“Sokka?”

“Yes, Toph?”

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

He chuckled and mirrored her, slipping his own hand up the side of her face, caressing her cheek softly. Was every part of her this soft? Sokka mentally shrugged. He’d find out soon enough. 

“I’m pretty sure I’m supposed to be asking  _ you _ that.”

She threw her arms around his neck. “Well, I’m all ready for you Captain Boomerang.”

He raised his eyebrows and asked, one last time, “Are you sure?”

Toph shimmied up onto the pillows, letting them hug her bare back. She smirked and pressed a sloppy kiss to Sokka’s chin and cheek and nose and forehead and ear. She wanted to kiss every part of him. She wanted to remember the feel of his skin against her lips. Still feeling a little woozy from the cactus juice, Toph nodded and kneeled up to press her lips to Sokka’s once again. 

And, they kissed and kissed until they were both just a pile of limbs, a girl and a boy, their hands and legs intertwined on the mattress, plush and warm. They dozed lightly, Sokka stroking the soft skin on the back of her neck and Toph listening to his heartbeat, loud and strong. 

And steady. 

________________________________

Moonlight filtered in from the window of the room as Sokka blinked awake. Something soft lay curled up in his arms, seemingly attempting to huddle into him. Toph pressed her face into his neck and snored softly. He glanced at her once more. All of her. A sudden warmth filled his chest, feeling suspiciously close to pure  _ sunshine.  _ His eyes watered while he pulled a long strand of hair away from her face, the ivory skin practically glowing. But he’d always thought she looked beautiful.  _ Like a goddess.  _

The earthbender in question inhaled sharply and stretched like a cat, rolling over in Sokka’s arms and pressing her face into the pillow. She groaned loudly. 

“What time is it?”

He glanced back at the window. “Still not morning yet. We’ve got plenty of time before the party’s over, if that’s what you meant.” Would she just get up and leave? Pretend like none of this happened now? He didn’t want to.  _ Don’t go. I’ll miss you.  _

“Well that’s good I guess.” Toph laced her fingers through his and moved to rest her head on his warm chest. She listened for his heartbeat again, slow and loud, and she sighed. “Can we-?”

“Stay here?” he asked with a bemused expression. 

Color flooded her cheeks and Toph nodded curtly before turning her head into Sokka’s breast. He chuckled and shook her by the shoulders lightly. A headache was just starting to form in his head as the cactus juice ran its course. But frankly, he didn’t care. 

“Toph?”

“Yeah, Snoozles?”

“Will you think I’m crazy if I say something that’s just that right now?”

“What are you talking about? You say crazy things all the time. Think outside the box for a change,” she joked, squeezing his forearm lightly. 

“Ha ha, very funny. I just mean...I think  _ we’re  _ meant to be.”

She sits up abruptly, looking down at Sokka with wide eyes. “Sokka…”

He dismissed her with a small wave, avoiding the worst. “You don’t have to say anything. But for the last couple years you weren’t there with us anymore. You’re my best friend, Toph. It felt like...well, like a part of me was gone. And it was just  _ two years,  _ Toph. I don’t want to have to know what it’s like to go years and years, maybe even decades without kissing you, touching you.” Sliding his hands up her back, his palm came to rest directly under her shoulder blades. A weak spot. 

She didn’t flinch. 

And the rest came out like word vomit. He couldn’t tell if it was the juice talking or him, really, but  _ what the heck?  _ He can’t help it if it’s all true. Every single bit. 

“I never want to leave you again, Toph. And I know that’s probably selfish of me. It’s definitely selfish of me. But I ‘d never be able to get you out of my head. I  _ haven’t  _ been able to get you out of my head. You’ve always been here, in the back, in the front. You’ve always been here.

“So, I love you. I know you probably don’t believe me because of everything with Suki and the fact that I’m still a little woozy from everything that just happened,” she chuckles at that, “but I love you.” Forget champagne bubble baths and hot dinners in the tub before a night of meaningless sex. He  _ wanted  _ this. Everything. With Toph. 

She kissed his nose, and his hair, moving up to curl her body protectively around his. “You really love me?”

He knew. He knew there was nothing between him and Suki anymore. Nothing to salvage. Nothing he can fix anymore. Everything had fallen flat between them and he wanted to give up. 

Here’s to giving up. 

He pressed his lips to hers again, passionate and fierce, not gentle this time. “Always.”

Toph giggled, sliding down further into the covers, wrapping her arms wholly around him and breathing in deeply, the woodsy pine scent emanating clear off his skin. She nuzzled her face deeper into his neck and Sokka smiled. 

“Can we stay like this forever?” he asked. 

“And then some.”

“And then some,” he agreed. 

They must fall asleep again, her leg thrown haphazardly around his waist, him breathing softly onto her head, ruffling her hair, his long arms hugging tight to Toph’s midsection. 

The sound of Suki’s voice was the first thing they heard when they woke up again, staring into each other’s eyes (well, at least one of them was). 

“Sokka!” she screamed. “Where are you?”

“Shit.”

Sounds of frantic zipping and yanking cloth shatter the comfortable silence that they had, half between sleep and clarity, remembering their most recent adventure, giggling when he’d told her about his performance of Secret Tunnel. 

The door opened, Toph with half her dress on her shoulder, Sokka with only one leg in his pants. Suki’s jaw hung to the floor as she looked back and forth between Toph and Sokka. Toph. Sokka. Toph and Sokka. Toph and Sokka? Familiar rage boiled up in the kyoshi warrior’s chest and she snarled. 

Sokka cursed again, pulling the rest of his pants up, slipping his robes onto his shoulders, grabbing the crook of Suki’s arm and gently attempting to lead her into the room before she could yell out into the palace, still brimming with guests. 

Surprise, surprise. There was no listening to him. 

“What the hell is going on here?” 

Sokka hoped she wouldn’t guess but one passing glance at the bed would’ve told anyone the entire night’s agenda for him and Toph. He winced as she stared hard at the crumpled sheets on the mattress. 

_ Don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry  _ he chanted in his head. He could never deal with it if Suki cried. 

Instead, she turned to him, seething. 

He knew what came next, what was bound to happen, what he’d been telling himself would happen before he even came to this party. Before he’d even met Toph again. 

But a small needling in his chest broke free at that moment, growing into a scream that echoed throughout his mind.  _ What are you doing? Throwing away two years of your life? You’ve been trying so hard. You can pull it together. _

He looked back at the earthbender, slowly curling into herself, her dress still half-zipped and hanging slightly off one shoulder.  _ But Toph.  _

And he asked himself again. Was he in love with her? His senses flooded back. Was that even logical? He hadn’t seen her for two years and he was in love with her? Something in his head told Sokka to  _ STOP TALKING STOP TALKING STOP TALKING. STOP THINKING.  _ But he didn’t and before Suki could open his mouth to lecture him, break up with him, humiliate him in front of the entire fire nation, he dropped a hand to her shoulder. He wasn’t ready to break up with her. Not yet. 

So it comes flying out like word vomit again. 

“It was a mistake. Toph and I...what we did. It was a big mistake, Suki. We were drunk, stupid, and alone with each other. It was bound to happen, sure, but it was a mistake. A one-time thing. And I can’t even begin to explain how sorry I am, but  _ Suki-” _

Toph’s heart was pounding, thumping like a bass drum in her chest, so sure the entire fire nation, the entire world could hear it. What was he doing? Tears streaked down her face as embarrassment flushed hotly at the back of her neck. 

“I love you.”

Toph looked up, so sure he would’ve changed his mind at the last minute, looked back at her, motioned to her. Some sign, goddammit. But no. Here he was, saying the same words he’d said not even an hour ago, to her. If it was possible at all, she curled further into herself and her hands started to shake. 

A crowd had begun to gather by the door and she adjusted the shoulder strap of her dress self-consciously as everyone, Suki included, glanced suspiciously at her. Toph swiped at the salty water, ran her nose along the back of her hand in an attempt to somewhat pull herself together. But she squirmed under all their gazes. 

“I catch you cheating, and that’s all you have to say to me?” she said, redirecting her glare at the nonbender in front of her. 

He brought his hands to his head and winced. “What more do you want? I’m  _ sorry,  _ Suki. Please. She knows it too.” He whirled around fast.

Sokka’s eyes roved over the room, finally landing on Toph after a dizzy thirty seconds. And his heart shattered into a million pieces right then and there. Where was the earthbender that would bust his balls every time he did something stupid? Where was the badass girl who’d whack him upside the head and call him a fuckwit whenever his banter failed to be up to standard? Where was his best friend? She stumbled back into the wall and caught herself just in time before looking up at the nonbender. 

Suki’s concern replaced her anger, the urgent need to help her friend clawing its way up her throat. “Toph...are you okay?” The warrior stepped forward carefully, crossing the room slowly as if she was trying not to spook an animal. 

It felt like walls. Walls closing in on her, the crowd watching, Suki stepping closer and closer, Sokka’s pained gaze like  _ he  _ was the one who’d been hurt. She whimpered and this time, Sokka stepped forward with Suki. 

It was too much. All too much. Much too much. Her throat felt tight from the feeling of being lied to, the embarrassing truth practically choking her. 

So she ran from the room, Suki and Sokka both screaming after her. Her dress flew open in the back, the shoulder strap slipping down her shoulder, and she realized too late she’d forgotten her underwear back in the room but not none of that even mattered anymore.  _ Away away away away away _ her mind screamed. 

She bumped into Katara on her way into the bathroom, the familiar salty scent of her filling her nose immediately, coaxing a deep breath out of her. 

“Toph? Oh my god, what happened to you?” The familiar feel of Katara’s warm hand nudged at her lower back and Toph couldn’t help it anymore, breaking against her sister’s shoulder, bawling so hard the earth shook beneath her. The only thing she could make out was Katara’s soothing rub against her back. Soft, kind words bringing her back, grounding her to the earth once more. “It’s okay. Shhhh. Don’t worry, I’m here now. I’m here.”

“He d-d-doesn’t  _ want  _ me,” she hiccuped into Katara’s shoulder. 

“Who, honey?” the waterbender asked, stroking her hair softly. 

But the earthbender shook her head. Even as another round of soft sobs tore themselves from her belly, she shook her head and shuddered. 

The moonlight still shone into the bedroom. 


End file.
